00:00Little Jake Juan is now 1 year old. He was just about 6 months of age when his mother
00:08dropped him and his siblings, now ages 10, 8 and 6, at her babysitter's in North Oropooch.
00:15She came twice since I've been here and both of them more or less forcefully because I
00:21threatened to go to the station.
00:24Kelly says it was supposed to be a temporary solution whereby she would house the children
00:29but their mother would support them financially until she sorted out her affairs. But she
00:34says the agreement was not a dare to.
00:38She don't call, she don't communicate and when I do get upset and I call her, I send
00:42her a voice note. She would respond with, remember she has rent to pay. Or, don't worry
00:49she'll organise and come for her children. And it's like, okay when? Saturday. And Saturday
00:54never comes. Saturday, no day of the week comes for her.
00:56Kelly further explains that she closed her day care earlier this year as she was dealing
01:01with some personal affairs and says she would have taken the last of her savings to enroll
01:06the woman's children in private school. But the single mother of three says she's now
01:11facing a situation where she's unable to take care of any of the children.
01:17I haven't been able to do anything. October was the last time I worked and my rent for
01:23here is coming up. But I haven't been able to go out and do anything and I stopped doing
01:28childcare before I took these children. Saying that by January I will start back afresh.
01:34I haven't been able to put anything in place, re-register my business, do nothing. I haven't
01:40been able to do anything because she's not doing what she's supposed to do for her children.
01:44So all responsibility is now on me. I have three children of my own, 14, 12 and two.
01:50Kelly says while she did make a police report and the Children's Authority is involved,
01:55she was advised to take the matter to family court as she and the mother recently agreed
02:00that she should file for custody in the interest of the children.
02:05Children's Authority already had a case before with her when it comes to the whereabouts
02:09of the children, the condition the children was in, where the children were. So they already
02:14had this concern Children's Authority because it's about the welfare of the children.
02:21But you told them that you would keep the children?
02:23That I'm willing to, yes I did. As long as it's providing stability for the children,
02:29yes. If she is providing that stability for her children, those are her children, she
02:34could have her children. Those are her children, those children need their mother. But from
02:39listening to the back story, she's never really been there.
02:45While Kelly is going through the lengthy process of getting custody, she's asking for help
02:50to provide for the children, as she cannot get state assistance due to the fact that
02:54she's not their next of kin.
02:57The children need to get clothes. I need to get a washer, I need to get a dryer. The crib
03:05for the little boy, bunk beds for the older children, and food, we just need supply of
03:12food. Milk and pampers, load. Size 4 pampers and Clem 1+.
03:19Anyone willing to assist Kelly can reach her at 378-9714. Monetary donations can be made
03:28to her First Citizen Savings Account, number 2914871. TV6 News reached out to Extra Foods
03:36and the Ministry of Social Development, and they are both committed to providing some
03:41assistance. Renassa Cutting, TV6 News.
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